AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE AID OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR FISCAL YEAR 2001.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the aid of the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 100,375,171.00.

(2) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund, not otherwise appropriated, for the aid of public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 27,527,120.00.

(3) The money appropriated by this act shall be apportioned as follows:

(a) The State Board for Community and Junior Colleges shall distribute to each of the public community and junior colleges, out of any money appropriated from the State General Fund, the sum of Three Hundred Ninety-nine Thousand One Hundred Fifty-three Dollars ($399,153.00) and out of any money appropriated from the Education Enhancement Fund, the sum of One Hundred Forty-two Thousand One Hundred Twenty-seven Dollars ($142,127.00).

(b) The remainder of the appropriation for public community and junior colleges shall be distributed in twelve (12) monthly installments beginning July 25, 2000, on the basis of the number of full-time academic and technical public community and junior college students actually enrolled and in attendance on the last day of the sixth week of the fall semester or its equivalent of the preceding year counting only those students who reside within the State of Mississippi. Provided, however, that technical students shall be weighted at 1.19 times that of academic students.

The Director of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges shall visit each public community and junior college and shall determine, on the basis of an audit of students, who shall be counted in each college and shall certify the number to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.

If, pending determination of the full-time academic enrollment of students at the public community and junior colleges entitled to participate in this appropriation, as provided for in this subsection, the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges shall find and determine that any such public or community junior college does not have sufficient funds on hand for payment of the necessary expenses of its operation for the period commencing

July 1, 2000, until distribution of the funds appropriated hereby, then, in that event, the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges is expressly authorized to make an advance to any such public community or junior college or colleges not having sufficient operating funds for such period from the funds appropriated hereby; provided, however, that the amount of any such advance to any one public community or junior college shall not exceed thirty-three percent (33%) of the amount of state appropriated funds received by such public community or junior college during the preceding fiscal year; and provided, further, that the amount of any such advance shall be deducted from the pro rata part of the funds appropriated hereby accruing to said public community or junior college when enrollment has been ascertained and distribution of funds is made.

(4) No part of the amount herein appropriated shall be used by the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for administrative or other purposes except in the manner and to the extent authorized in the act making an appropriation for the expenses of the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.

SECTION 2. (1) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support, maintenance and equipping of vocational-technical departments in the public community and junior colleges which meet the requirements for vocational-technical education departments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30,

2001 $ 2,870,408.00.

(2) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support, maintenance and equipping of vocational-technical departments in the public community and junior colleges which meet the requirements for vocational-technical education departments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 772,288.00.

(3) Such departments shall be open to students enrolled in the institutions, and to other students who may qualify for such courses, and to those meeting requirements for either civilian or veteran rehabilitation, whether or not enrolled in such institutions as regular students.

(4) Such funds shall be disbursed to such public community and junior colleges on the basis of the full-time vocational enrollment of each such public community and junior college as of the last day of the sixth week of the fall semester or its equivalent of the preceding year, counting only students who reside within the State of Mississippi.

(5) No part of the funds hereby appropriated shall be spent for building or for regular academic instruction.

(6) The funds disbursed under the provisions of this act shall be accounted for through the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.

SECTION 3. (1) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the support of part-time academic credit courses operated by public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 14,515,025.00.

(2) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund, not otherwise appropriated, for the support of part-time academic credit courses operated by public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 3,905,292.00.

(3) These funds shall be disbursed by the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to such public community and junior colleges as may qualify on the basis of the prior year full-time equivalency of part-time and summer academic students, counting only students who reside within the State of Mississippi.

SECTION 4. (1) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund, not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purposes of paying for nursing faculty supplement, in accordance with Section 37-129-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, and aid to nursing education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 5,839,750.00.

(2) The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund, not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purpose of paying for nursing faculty supplement, in accordance with Section 37-129-1 et seq., Mississippi Code of 1972, and aid to nursing education for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 1,571,194.00.

SECTION 5. The following public community and junior colleges which qualify shall participate in the funds provided by Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this act:

Coahoma Community College, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Hinds Community College District, Holmes Community College, Itawamba Community College, Jones County Junior College, Meridian Community College, Mississippi Delta Community College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College District, Northeast Mississippi Community College, Northwest Mississippi Community College, Pearl River Community College, and Southwest Mississippi Community College.

SECTION 6. It is the intention of the Legislature that none of the General Funds appropriated herein shall be expended for the purpose of paying salaries, wages, and fringe benefits of any public community and junior college employee who is serving as a member of the State of Mississippi Legislature.

SECTION 7. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purposes of hiring nursing and allied health teachers, awarding interest free nursing and allied health student loans and providing instructional support for the Rural Health Corps for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 1,200,000.00.

The funds appropriated in this section shall be allocated as follows:

(1) One-half (1/2) divided equally among the fifteen (15) public community and junior colleges.

(2) One-half (1/2) divided upon the basis of the number of full-time academic, technical and vocational public community and junior college students actually enrolled and in attendance on the last day of the sixth week of the fall semester or its equivalent of the preceding year counting only those students who reside within the State of Mississippi.

The public community and junior colleges shall prepare and make available to the Legislature and the Legislative Budget Office an accounting of expenditures and program accomplishments of the Rural Health Corps Program for each of the individual community and junior colleges in a format and manner prescribed by the Legislative Budget Office.

SECTION 8. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the aid of the public community and junior colleges, to fund life and health insurance, for all employees of the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 11,510,674.00.

The funds allocated in this section shall only be used to participate in the State and School Employees' Life and Health Insurance Plan. Any funds appropriated in these sections which are not expended during the fiscal year shall be carried forward for the same purposes during the next succeeding fiscal year.

SECTION 9. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose of establishing and operating One-Stop Career Centers at each of the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 4,500,000.00.

SECTION 10. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purpose of defraying the cost of Sign Language Interpreter Training at the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 179,050.00.

SECTION 11. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Education Technology Program at the public community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 3,599,160.00.

SECTION 12. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purpose of defraying the cost of servicing the debt on bonds issued for the Education Technology Program at the community and junior colleges for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 3,141,678.00.

The funds appropriated in this section shall be derived from Education Enhancement Funds deposited pursuant to Section 27-103-203(1), Mississippi Code of 1972.

SECTION 14. Should revenues generated and deposited to the Education Enhancement Fund pursuant to Section 27-103-203 (1), Mississippi Code of 1972, and apportioned pursuant to Section 37-61-33 (6), Mississippi Code of 1972, fall below funds appropriated herein from said source, the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges shall notify the Department of Finance and Administration as to which allotments shall be reduced to insure that expenditures do not exceed actual revenues.

SECTION 15. A Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (MPACT) program beneficiary shall be considered a Mississippi resident for the purposes of participating in this appropriation regardless of the beneficiary's residence on the date of enrollment, as set out in Mississippi Code Annotated, Section 37-155-5(d)(iii).

SECTION 16. In compliance with the "Mississippi Performance Budget and Strategic Planning Act of 1994," it is the intent of the Legislature that the funds provided herein shall be utilized in the most efficient and effective manner possible to achieve the intended mission of this agency. Based on the funding authorized, this agency shall make every effort to attain the targeted performance measures provided below:

Performance Measures FY2001 Target

INSTRUCTION

Cumulative grade point averages of

community college transfer students

attending State Institutions of Higher

Learning will equal or exceed the

Grade Point Averages earned by native

students in the same university system

(GPA based on a 4.0 scale) 2.75

Average range of class size (Students/Class) 18.00

Percentage of community/junior college

associate degree nursing graduates who

pass the state board nursing exam on the

first write (%) 92.00

Percentage of full-time and adjunct (part-

time) faculty who met the criteria for

academic and professional preparation (%) 100.00

Percentage of vocational-technical students

who complete or exit a program and are

considered positively placed (%) 90.00

Total cost per full-time equivalent student ($) $5,299.91

PHYSICAL PLANT OPERATION

Percentage of community/junior colleges with a

written comprehensive safety and health

program implemented to ensure safe working

conditions and practices (%) 100.00

Number of student injuries on community and

junior college grounds (Students) 93.00

Number of employee injuries on community and

junior college grounds (Employees) 102.00

A reporting of the degree to which the performance targets set above have been or are being achieved shall be provided in the agency's budget request submitted to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for Fiscal Year 2002.

SECTION 17. It is the intent of the Legislature that no faculty salaries be reduced.

SECTION 18. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State General Fund not otherwise appropriated, to the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges for the purpose of defraying the cost of the Golden Triangle Education Center for Manufacturing Technology, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001 $ 100,000.00.

SECTION 19. The following sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby reappropriated out of any money in the Education Enhancement Fund No. 4302 in the State Treasury to the credit of the Public Community and Junior Colleges, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001

$ 615,000.00.

SECTION 20. Of the funds appropriated under the provisions of this act, the Mississippi Public Community and Junior Colleges may expend out of these funds such sums as may be necessary to provide transportation and transportation related services, including the operation or use of buses, vans or other vehicles owned or leased by the Mississippi Public Community and Junior Colleges in support of the annual meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference hosted by the State of Mississippi.

SECTION 21. The money herein appropriated shall be paid by the State Treasurer out of any money in the State Treasury to the credit of the proper fund or funds as set forth in this act, upon warrants issued by the State Fiscal Officer; and the State Fiscal Officer shall issue his warrants upon requisitions signed by the proper person, officer or officers in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 22. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.